Book #22

Swords Against Death

Fritz Leiber

The second book of Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser.  Now, the fun really starts.  In this volume we see a living house that knows how to protect itself. We learn that dead thieves can be more dangerous than living ones, and that even death himself is no match for a well placed sword. They encounter a man plagued by the ghosts of those he killed.  While trying to return home our heroes encounter a sunken city, and seven priests protecting a sleeping god.  Back in their home city of Lankhmar they look into a rash of thefts and find themselves facing off against the high priestess of a bird goddess.

Now, something new is thrown into the mix here in the second collection, as we meet wizards, Sheelba of the Eyeless Face, and Ningauble of the Seven Eyes.  These two become the mentors of our two heroes, and in this volume.  We see them in the first story, which is more of a setup than a full story, and then the two wizards reappear in the final stories in the volume.  First, each wizard sends his hero after the Mask of Death, which leaves each sworn to kill the other to recover the mask.  Then, in the final story, the two wizards call their heroes to stop a threat to the world of Newhon.  Of course, things go wrong and it is Fafhrd who must rescue Mouser from the Bazaar of the Bizarre.

This is another fun read, lots of adventure, lots of action, and lots of fun.